Oracle-L: RE: RE: My career path and Oracle?

From: Bob Lofstrand <blofstrand_at_csedge.com>
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 07:51:54 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.00592630.20030507075154@fatcity.com>

If you are planning to stay on the technical/practical/nuts and bolts side of things, then a masters is the way to go. I wouldn't bother with a Ph.D unless you are shooting for a teaching/research position. At best most places will ignore it and at worst you will be overqualified. If you have the extra time, get a second masters, perhaps an MBA. Your training should say, "I understand the practical side of all this" not "I am Ivory Tower, go away."

My hope is to retire to a teaching position at a local university in 20 years. In a case like that I will want that Ph.D, but not for some time yet.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 8:42 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

Ive noticed that not having a technical degree really hurt me in my latest job search. Getting another bachelors would actually take as long as getting 2 masters degrees and almost as long as Ph.D, since Universites are 'difficult' on transfer credit.

Ive also noticed that alot of positions these days really want technical degrees and preferably graduate degrees. Masters only takes 2 years and its interesting since. Havent decided on the Ph.D, will take me a while since I have a non-technical degree, so I have to take a bunch of math to qualify.

Im only 28 and basically while Im still young, I want to make sure Im position so that in the future I can do what ever is needed. I doublt Ill be writing PL/SQL then. I worked with a guy who was a mainframer for 30 years and the demand for him was extremely high through the early 1990s, but has fallen off the earth. He got into Oracle development, but he had to step down to a junior level position. This gravely concerns me.

Ph.D... is a real pain.

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Author: <rgaffuri_at_cox.net
INET: rgaffuri_at_cox.net

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Author: Bob Lofstrand
INET: blofstrand_at_csedge.com

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